Prosecutors considered filing hate crime charges after confrontation

Apr. 24, 2013

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In this video shot on April 4, Donflyn Kerradel repeatedly curses Springfield police and is eventually arrested and faced a trespassing allegation. He is now in jail accused of punching a woman in the face on April 13.

A 20-year-old who police say is a downtown troublemaker turned violent last weekend when he allegedly punched a stranger in the face after harassing her about her sexual orientation.

The woman, unidentified in court documents, suffered a broken nose.

Donflyn K. Kerradel, of Springfield, has been charged with assault after the April 13 confrontation in a parking lot near the intersection of McDaniel Street and Patton Avenue.

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According to a probable cause statement used to file charges, Kerradel approached the woman walking through the lot about 8 p.m. and began using “crude and derogatory statements regarding (the victim’s) sexual orientation.”

The woman first tried to ignore Kerradel, according to the documents, but when she turned to walk away, Kerradel allegedly hit her in the face.

Donflyn K. Kerradel

After seeking medical attention, the woman described her attacker to police — including a tattoo of the letter “P” on his right cheek, according to the documents.

From previous encounters with him, the responding officer knew Kerradel matched the description, according to the documents.

Officers found Kerradel near the Park Central Library and arrested him in connection with the assault.

He remains in the Greene County Jail on a $15,000 bond.

Prosecutors considered filing charges against Kerradel under Missouri’s hate crime statute, but decided to charge him with second-degree assault, which carries the same maximum penalty.

To convict under the hate crime law, prosecutors must prove a suspect was “knowingly motivated because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation.”

“Sexual orientation” is defined in the law as “male or female heterosexuality, homosexuality or bisexuality by inclination, practice, identity or expression, or having a self-image or identity not traditionally associated with one’s gender.”

If convicted of second-degree assault, a Class C felony, Kerradel could face up to seven years in prison.

Just prior to the alleged assault, prosecutors say, Kerradel had been arrested and released for assaulting a different woman. That case has been referred to municipal court, according to Springfield police records.

Kerradel on April 4 was arrested after a confrontation with police near the library off the square and he taunted and made obscene gestures toward officers. An incident report says he was arrested in connection with trespassing and disturbance of the peace.